Syracuse man charged with rape, assault

A Syracuse man was accused Tuesday of beating and raping a 20-year-old woman, and hitting a man in the head with a golf club, Syracuse police said.

Robert Brown, 35, of 406 Kirk Ave., was charged with felony rape and assault and as well as misdemeanor charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police first became aware of Brown when officers stopped and confronted a group of men armed with sticks early Tuesday in the 100 block of South Avenue.

One of the men, Raul Pinet, 29, of Syracuse, pointed out Brown as the man they were chasing. Pinet said the man had raped a woman and had hit him in the head with a golf club.

Police took Brown into custody and found the victim in a home on Shonnard Street. The woman had an eye swollen shut and appeared to have a broken nose and cheek, police said.

The woman identified Brown as the man who beat and raped her. The woman told police that she was with friends and Brown at the home. At one point, the woman said, she went to a bedroom and Brown came to the door and said that he was there for "his payment" and assaulted the woman, police said.

Brown admitted to police that he was at the Shonnard Street home, police said. Brown told police that he smoked crack cocaine with the victim with the understanding that she would pay for the cocaine with sex, police said.